Oregon Man Opening Collective In Spite of City’s Refusal

Nick Clark plans to open “Nature’s Choice” collective in Rainier, Oregon, despite the fact that the city has denied his request for a business license. Clark plans to open the collective on April 17th, and faces $500 per day charges from the city for operating without a business license.

Mayor Jerry Cole explained that the city isn’t against medical marijuana, but they will not issue the license because marijuana is illegal on the federal level. “By no means are we saying that medical marijuana doesn’t have a medical benefit. We don’t want to be liable for issuing a business license in an illegal matter.”

Clark knows that marijuana, medical or not, is illegal federally, but believes he should still be able to open the store because Oregon voters approved the legalization of medical marijuana. “It’s against federal law, but in Oregon it’s legal,” he explained. “City and states and municipalities don’t have the right to uphold federal law. That’s not their job.”

The collective will be located off of the main highway in the city. In addition to providing medicine to patients, the collective will also act as a resource center where patients can learn about medical marijuana and network.